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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25160749">You and Your Totally Normal Day</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitalrenegade/pseuds/digitalrenegade'>digitalrenegade</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Auntie Alex, Avenger Reader (Marvel), Bank Robbery, Childhood Memories, Domestic Fluff, Dr. Cortez, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Everyone Needs A Hug, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Memories, Mutant Reader, Perceptive Steve, Post-Serum Steve Rogers, Protective Steve Rogers, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Steve is a Jokester Here, You need a hug, she be an original character haha, who is also another OC haha</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:42:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,758</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25160749</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/digitalrenegade/pseuds/digitalrenegade</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>You're just a normal college student from Queens who's trying to go to the bank. Nothing out of the ordinary there.</p>
<p>Oh, and you have the ability to manipulate sound.</p>
<p>Yeah, totally normal.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Steve Rogers/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>67</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Totally Normal Day</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Here's my second story to this site! I kinda wanna expand this and write about how your relationship with Steve progresses throughout it all, so please let me know what you think! I'm also thinking of opening up requests since I'd love to be able to make your fantasies come to life! :) </p>
<p>Or, y'know. In writing.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Just a totally normal day for a totally normal you.</p>
<p>You were sitting down in one of the cars of one of the city’s most frequently used subway lines-- the F line, your headphones blaring out the song “Fantasy” by Alina Baraz at a volume that some would consider deafening.</p>
<p>Being born and raised in Queens, commuting to and from the heart of the city was no challenge for you, though you did catch yourself wondering why you chose to stay in the city and not move to a small town for college instead. Thankfully, you were already on your last leg of your undergraduate career, double majoring in both sound engineering and physics at NYU. You had been admitted to Columbia University’s graduate program for engineering and currently on your way to Stark Industries for an interview with their engineering department. You just had to make one quick stop, first, and that was your bank. With your back against the seating, you let yourself doze off for a bit-- that was until you felt the vibrations on your back once more. </p>
<p>“This station is: 42nd Street, Bryant Park. When leaving the train, please watch the gap,” you recognized the wavelength of the automated announcer notifying you of your stop (a totally normal thing other people do), quickly opened your eyes and got up, and left the train. </p>
<p>With the music still blaring in your ears, you skillfully weaved past the crowd that formed by the door of the train, and let out a small sigh once you were in the clear. You hurriedly made your way back up and onto the streets of Manhattan, walking briskly towards your bank. You were lucky that you had special selective hearing, or else the city would have driven you mad years ago. </p>
<p>So okay, maybe you weren’t that normal. But then again, who was? </p>
<p>You had the power to manipulate sound, and you used that to your advantage. Didn’t want anyone bothering you? Turn the volume of your music up and use your sound immunity to ensure that your ears don’t bleed out. Wanna show someone a cool party trick? Deliberately manipulate the frequencies to break a wine glass. Your ability to manipulate sound was also why you studied what you majored in-- because it intrigued you so much and you wanted to be able to maximize what you could do with it. The possibilities that you could use your powers for were nearly limitless, and you wanted to use those powers for good, no matter how that looked.</p>
<p>The walk to the bank was a quick one, and soon enough you found yourself pushing the heavy glass doors open. You made your way over to the waiting area and took a seat on one of the plush, velvety chairs. You crossed your arms and looked around the bank, silently thanking the stars that it wasn’t packed with people. The faster you were able to talk to one of the associates and leave, the better. You didn’t want to miss the interview you had waiting for you.</p>
<p>Once you were called, you made your way over to one of the booths and took a seat. The associate in front of you clears her throat, and was about to say something until a loud, booming voice interrupted her.</p>
<p>“Nobody move! This is a stick up. Give us all the money you had!” roared an unknown voice.</p>
<p>“Did this really have to happen now?” you grumbled under your breath. The associate looks at you, fear present in her eyes as you both hear footsteps nearby.</p>
<p>You quickly peered over from the booth and saw that there were two masked individuals, both of whom carried a gun. You looked over to the entrance of the bank and saw that the security guard was being held at gunpoint by a third masked individual. You turn back to the associate and quickly motioned for her to hide.</p>
<p>“Okay,” you said to yourself, trying to come up with a plan. You didn’t want to sit idly by and be a victim, knowing that you had the power to stop the robbers. “There’s three of them and one of me, and they all have guns.” </p>
<p>You considered multiple options before settling with a focused shock blast. Now you just had to work out the formula. Fortunately for you, you had physics on your side. After spending some time doing the mental math, you peered over once again to find out that the two masked robbers were approaching your location. You breathed in deeply, cursing yourself for how stupid you felt, but stood up with the confidence that your plan would work.</p>
<p>You put your hands up as the two masked individuals pointed their guns at you, and for a split second, you really thought that that was it for you. Having only a split second to think, you gave them a smile before taking another step forward, another deep breath and opening your mouth. One of the robbers pointed his gun straight for your heart and fired a few moments before you let out a shout, sending them flying back. </p>
<p>You cried out in pain as you grabbed your side, stumbling backwards. At the very last second, the bullet had missed your heart but instead hit your side. The two robbers were trying to get back up after what you had done, but you sent another blast their way. </p>
<p>You quickly looked for the third robber, who had grabbed the security guard in front of him and was using the guard as a human shield. You hesitated sending a third blast because of that. You had to figure out a way to attack the robber without injuring the guard in the crossfire. You knew that you could send a frequency attack, but you didn’t know how to alert the guard without catching the robber’s attention. </p>
<p>You winced as you stepped forward, and glanced at your side to see your once clean top stained a dark red. When you looked back up at the robber and guard, your eyes widened in surprise as you saw him. Captain America himself, standing behind the robber, ready to strike.</p>
<p>The robber, noticing this, looked behind him and immediately fired his gun at the Captain, only for Captain America to reflect the bullet back with his shield. He sucker punched the robber, causing him to stumble back before pulling him away from the guard. </p>
<p>Still standing, the third robber runs off, leaving his two accomplices laying on the marble floor, semi-conscious. The security guard calls for police before thanking the Captain and rushing over to the other two would-be robbers, pointing his gun at them in case they regain consciousness.</p>
<p>The associate that was helping you not too long ago emerged from her hiding spot and ran towards you, thanking you for saving her, and the bank. At the same time, Captain America was close to you, and once the associate made her leave, you turned back only for your face to meet his muscular chest. You looked up at him, staring into his baby blue eyes with your own, and shot him a sheepish grin.</p>
<p>“You did almost all of the work, I take it,” he commented, before laughing heartily. </p>
<p>You felt a brush creeping up as you gave him a nod. “Y-Yes,” you confirmed. “Yes I did. But thank you for dealing with that last guy. I didn’t know how to get him without hurting the security guard.”</p>
<p>“I was on my way here when I saw the windows suddenly break and heard two loud shrieks. I’m assuming you’re special,” he said, before putting a hand on your shoulder.</p>
<p>You chuckled, before wincing from the pain once more. “I’m totally normal. I just have a really loud voice.”</p>
<p>He was about to say something else before seeing the blood on your side, and his face immediately turned to that of worry. And without any warning, he picked you up in his arms. You let out a small gasp as you felt more heat on your cheeks. </p>
<p>“C-Captain! Please put me down!” you pleaded. </p>
<p>He shook his head and tightened his hold on you. “You’re hurt. I’ll take you to Tony’s and get you patched up. He’ll want to know about what you’ve done.”</p>
<p>You laughed softly before saying,</p>
<p>“Funny, I was just about to head over there.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Steve Rogers, P.I. (Perceptive Individual)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here's Chapter Two! Woohoo!</p>
<p>I hope you guys like it. I will be adding tags as I go along.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Steve walked you out of the bank, you wondered how he was going to bring you back to Stark’s. He seemed to notice your concerns and said, “Happy should be here shortly. He’ll drive us back.”</p>
<p>You gave him a small, acknowledging nod as you looked around. You saw people staring at you and the Captain, with some taking their phones out and snapping pictures. Immediately you hid, burying your face in his chest. You didn’t want more attention towards you for the time being, nor did you want it to be posted on the Internet. You could hear what people were saying, and you immediately shut those off, essentially leaving you temporarily deaf. You had a feeling that you were going to get some concerned calls, soon. Namely from your aunt, who took you in when your parents left, without bidding you as much as a farewell. Once they found out about your powers, they decided that they just couldn’t handle it, and as much as you resented them for that, you understood why they did it-- although you knew that it still wasn’t a good enough reason to be abandoned. You were just a kid back then; you didn’t know any better.</p>
<p>Steve, on the other hand, made sure that your face couldn’t be seen by the onlookers, shooting them uneasy smiles as he politely asked for them to stop. When the onlookers didn’t, he slowly felt something erupting in the pit of his stomach. He could see that you were uncomfortable with the attention being thrust upon you, and he hated the fact that these people simply didn’t care. That all they cared about was spreading gossip and baseless assumptions online.</p>
<p>He caught a glimpse of his personal car which he asked Happy to drive so he could spot him from a distance. It was a red, unmarked coupe (for privacy reasons) and it came to a stop shortly after it was spotted. The passenger door opened, and Steve took brisk steps to get to the car as fast as possible. Happy pushed the passenger seat forward, making room for you and Steve to get in the back. He gently set you down onto one of the seats, and you, still holding your side, slowly moved over so he could have room to sit, which he did not long after. </p>
<p>The passenger door closed, and the three of you sped off to Stark Industries.</p>
<p>Steve looked at you worriedly, motioning to your wound. “How are you holding up?”</p>
<p>You gave him a small smile, wincing once again from the pain. “Not good, but it could be worse,” you responded, trying to make yourself sound as lighthearted as possible. Steve nodded, before you continued. “Again, thank you for coming when you did.”</p>
<p>“You’re welcome,” he said, before the two of you fell silent. </p>
<p>You fidgeted with your fingers together, something you did whenever you felt nervous; and boy, were you nervous. Nervous about your pictures inevitably spreading like wildfire, nervous about showing up to Stark Industries, essentially bleeding out from your wound, and nervous about what your aunt and friends would say when they eventually find out. </p>
<p>You must have had an obvious, worried look on your face, because it isn’t long before Steve’s voice distracts you from your thoughts. From the feeling of the wavelength, it sounded like he was asking you a question. </p>
<p>You looked at him questioningly. “I’m sorry,” you apologized. “But could you repeat that?”</p>
<p>“I was just wondering what business you had at Stark Industries anyway,” he repeated himself. </p>
<p>“Oh! Well, it’s just that I got an interview for an internship there,” you explained. “I’m finishing up my degree in sound engineering and physics, and just got accepted to grad school. I applied for the internship at Stark Industries mainly out of a whim. I didn’t think I’d actually hear back, so imagine my surprise when I got a phone call at one in the morning from Mr. Stark himself.”</p>
<p>Happy chuckled, shaking his head slightly as he continued driving. “Yep, that’s Tony for you.”</p>
<p>Steve nodded, looking at you, impressed. “I see. And I’m gonna guess and say that you’re studying sound engineering and physics because of your totally normal talents?” he asked.</p>
<p>“Yep. My totally normal talents,” you affirmed, shooting him a playful smile that he reciprocated. </p>
<p>“I don’t really know much about what you’re studying, but I can tell that you have a real passion for it, seeing as you want to learn more about what you can do. Correct me if I’m wrong, though,” he mused. </p>
<p>You felt a heat rise up to your cheeks once again, and found yourself sheepishly rubbing the back of your neck. “I like to think so. What can I say? I love what I do and I want to be able to let other people benefit from it. I want to help people, Captain.”</p>
<p>His features soften as he puts a hand over your shoulder once more. “I can tell. And please, call me Steve. What’s yours?”</p>
<p>“[Y/F/N]. [Y/F/N Y/L/N.]”</p>
<p>He squeezed your shoulder comfortingly as the tower came into view. </p>
<p>“Well, [Y/F/N]. I have a feeling you’ll fit right in.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Sorry for leaving the chapter on another cliffhanger again, haha. I didn't think I'd update so soon but welp, I did! </p>
<p>I hope you guys liked it and I'll write the next chapter soon!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Medbay</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here's Chapter 3! Just a dash of angst here, y'all. I changed the rating because I realized that there was gonna be swearing involved. Oops.</p>
<p>Anyways, enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Happy drove Steve’s car down the parking garage underneath the tower. He stopped the car in front of an elevator, and opened the passenger door. Steve hopped out first, and waited patiently as you slowly moved over, before exiting the car yourself. He took your hand in his and thanked Happy, you following suit shortly after. After closing the door, Happy drove off, supposedly to park Steve’s car. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You and Steve approached the elevator and Steve pressed the button. It didn’t take a long time for a ding to ring out, and the elevator doors to open. Both of you stepped into the elevator, and Steve pressed the button for the 14th floor. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s where our medbay is,” he informed you, to which you nodded in response.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> You were starting to feel a little lightheaded. Hell, anyone else would after bleeding from a gunshot wound. You leaned against Steve’s arm, using him as support. He snaked an arm around your shoulder, his hand rubbing it affirmingly as he held you steady; the two of you waiting to reach the medbay floor. You didn’t know what it was about him, but something inside you felt safe around him-- that you could trust him with your life and he wouldn’t let you down. Which is odd, considering the fact that you’ve never met him until half an hour ago. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The elevator came to a smooth stop and let out a pleasant ding before its doors opened. You, using Steve as support, took careful steps as you walked out of the elevator. You marveled at the sight around you. The medbay was painted a bright, white color, and the many lights just made the area even brighter. There were plenty of people in pristine, well-kept lab coats, and you were able to spot s number of complex machinery befitting Stark Industries. There were four pods to your left, presumably for patients to rest in, and to your right were smaller rooms filled with various equipment. separated with glass sliding doors. For isolation purposes, perhaps? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One of the people donning lab coats approached you and Steve. Your bloodstained side caught her eye, causing her face to turn into that of worry. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello, Dr. Cortez. This is [Y/F/N]; she’s sustained a gunshot wound at the side of her body,” he told her, transferring you from his arms to hers. “Another thing to note-- she’s totally normal,” he added with a knowing grin. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dr. Cortez understood and let out a chuckle before adjusting herself to make you more comfortable. “I see. I’ll just be taking you to one of these pods, here,” she told you, walking you over to an empty one. She set you down slowly. “Make yourself comfortable while I get what I need to fix you up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You nodded, and took off your shoes before carefully lying down on the pod. It was unbelievably comfortable. You felt like you could’ve passed out right then and there, but you didn’t.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve walked up to you. “Now that you’ve settled, I’ll have to speak to Tony about what’s happened. I’ll be back, but don’t worry. You’re in good hands, here. Dr. Cortez is one of the best in the field.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dr. Cortez arrived with a tray of surgical equipment, overhearing everything that Steve said. She grinned at the two of you. “Why, thank you Captain. It’s all because of hours and hours of hard work.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She looked at you and motioned for you to take your top off, before eyeing Steve. “This is where you leave, Captain. I’m sure [Y/F/N] would like some privacy.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve nodded, a light pink blush on his cheeks. “I know, I know. I will,” he stammered, before shooting you a shy smile. “I’ll be back in a bit,” he said, before walking back into the elevator.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dr. Cortez shifted her attention to you once more as you took off your top. She handed you a piece of plastic and you put your top inside it, before dropping it on the floor. She reached for a mask from behind the pod and situated it on your face, before flipping something and turning one of the machines on.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll just be putting you to sleep, now. When you wake up, you’ll feel more refreshed than you’ve ever felt in ages,” she reassured you.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You managed to nod once before letting the sweet embrace of sleep take you in its arms. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You were a dimly lit hallway, standing in front of a closed door. Behind you was a couple, around their mid-thirties. The man, with [Y/H/C] hair and hazel green eyes urged you to ring the doorbell. You complied, before looking behind you and up at them. The woman, with chestnut brown hair and [Y/E/C] eyes refused to even spare you a glance. You felt a sharp pain in your heart at the nonverbal rejection. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You closed your eyes and heard their hearts beating fast, before you were interrupted with a new sound-- that of the door lock opening and the creaking of the wood as it opened. You turned your head back, and were met with the sight of a woman that resembled your mother, albeit a little younger. She knelt down and wrapped her arms around you, holding you tight. You heard her heart beating as well: soft, calm. Unlike the storm that resided in your parents’ hearts. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>The man looked down regretfully before placing a hand on your head and gave your hair a tussle. “Take care of yourself, okay? I’m sorry. It’s for the best,” he said, before letting out a sad smile, one that you couldn’t see. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You felt his hand withdrawing, before two sets of footsteps could be heard. You shut those footsteps out, and never even looked back, opting to stay in the other woman’s arms instead. She stroked your hair gently before carrying you in her arms and bringing you inside. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You woke up to the sounds of working machinery and chatter, opening your eyes slowly to adjust to the blinding lights. You sat up slowly, looking around. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘That’s right, I’m at the medbay. At Stark Industries,’ you thought to yourself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You saw Dr. Cortez talking to Steve and Tony. Curious as to what they were talking about, you honed in on their conversation.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“She’s stable,” Dr. Cortez informed the two men. “The bullet didn’t enter her body, though it did injure her pretty badly.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve nodded, his arms crossed. “That’s good. I was a little worried when she started to lean on me on our way up here. I thought it was gonna be worse. She should be up soon, right?” he asked, to which Dr. Cortez nodded in response.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony peered over Dr. Cortez’s shoulder with his signature smirk. “Speaking of up, there she is,” he pointed out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dr. Cortez and Steve turned and sure enough, there you were, awake. You decided to feign ignorance, and gave them a small smile. The three walked up to you.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve was the first to speak. “Hey. I told you I’d be back soon,” he said, proudly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How long was I out for?” you asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“An hour, give or take.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, I see.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” Tony piped up. “How are you feeling, Miss [Y/L/N]?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Better than I felt earlier. Thank you for letting me get patched up here,” you thanked him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s my pleasure. Anything to keep my newest intern safe and sound,” he grinned.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You looked at him as if he just sprouted two heads. “New intern?” you repeated.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded. “New intern.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But… I didn’t get to do the inter--” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony cut you off. “Steve told me what happened. Believe me when I tell you I wasn’t expecting that, on the account of how normal you are,” he gave you a knowing wink. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You nodded. “That’s me. Absolutely normal.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That, and it’s trending on Twitter.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry. One of the departments here will handle that,” Tony reassured you. “So what do you say? You game?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You grinned eagerly. You never thought you’d actually get the internship, given all that happened. “I’m totally game!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He grinned as well. “Great. I’ll get everything set up and talk to whoever you’re living with. It’ll be easier for you to live and work here. Besides, it’s closer to NYU and Columbia than Queens is.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You froze. You almost forgot about your aunt. You pulled out your phone and saw that it had 55 missed calls from her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Laughing nervously, you look up at the two men. “Speaking of who I’m living with, she’s called me more times than I have fingers. I’ll let her know what’s going on and hand the phone to you, Mr. Stark,” you said politely.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He waved a hand at you. “Please, just call me Tony.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You chuckled. “Alright, Tony.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You then unlocked your phone and called your aunt. You had <em>a lot</em> of explaining to do.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Phone Call</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter 4! Sorry if I posted it a little later than I did for Chapter 3. Also, apologies for this chapter being a little more dialogue heavy.</p>
<p>I hope you guys enjoy, and thank you all so much for the kudos and wonderful comments!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>You didn’t have to wait long for your aunt to pick up. Honestly, you wouldn’t be surprised if she told you she just sat and watched her phone, waiting for you to call back (or merely an update from you, telling her you were fine and still breathing). </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“[Y/F/N]! Do you know how many times I tried to call you?” she scolded. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You laughed awkwardly, sending a flurry of apologies her way. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once that seemed to calm her down, you waited patiently for a moment before continuing. “I’m fine now, Auntie. Tony’s doctors patched me up. It wasn’t even </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>bad.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She sighed, and you could just imagine her pinching the bridge of her nose like she always did when you told her things in such a dismissive tone. It was only fair-- you didn’t want her more stressed out then she should be, and she didn’t like it whenever you underplayed whatever it was you were telling her at the time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Honey, I’m glad to hear that you’re doing fine, but it’s just that,” she took a brief pause. “You could’ve gotten seriously hurt. You had no means of protecting yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“But I could’ve just screamed to deflect the bullets,” you protested. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And yet you managed to still get hit by one,” she countered.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>‘Damn, she’s got a point,’ you thought, mentally cursing yourself out for that. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She was right, too. Although your reflexes were slightly above average, that still wouldn’t be enough to react if a bullet, or anything worse, was heading your way. In fact, had you opened your mouth a fraction of a second later, the likelihood of you surviving a bullet to the heart was significantly less than a shot to the side.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I was being reckless,” you admitted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t say,” she snarkily remarked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You rolled your eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, here I am, acknowledging my stupidity at that moment and all I get in return is that? How rude,” you joked, before the both of you started laughing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I saw that picture of you in Captain America’s arms on Twitter earlier,” she said, eliciting a blush on your end.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, yeah. I’m not surprised.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is he as big and strong as they say he is?” she asked teasingly. You only hoped that Steve didn’t notice the pink on your cheeks.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I can’t really tell you that right now, Auntie!” you said, laughing yet again.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony cleared his throat, which caught your attention. He motioned for you to speed it up-- you could talk to your aunt later anyway.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyway,” you began. “Since I’m already at Stark Industries, Captain America told Mr. Stark everything that’s happened.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And? What happened after that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I got the internship.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You braced for the excited shriek you knew was about to come by adjusting your hearing, so what was supposed to be detrimental to your ear came out as loud as someone using their inside voice. Though to the three other people present, they could tell it was a shriek.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You took another moment before adjusting your hearing levels to normal. “Because of that, Mr. Stark wants to move me into the tower with the rest of them, so that it’ll be more convenient for me to get to school and work. I just wanted to let you know,” you informed her.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I see,” she said. You could hear the sadness in her voice. “But you’ll visit often, right?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course I will. I’ll just be a borough away and I’ll be sure to drop by as much as I can.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Promise?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Promise,” you swore. “Would you like me to hand you over to Mr. Stark? He would like to say a few words to you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“R-Really?” she stammered nervously. “I get to talk to </span>
  <em>
    <span>the T</span>
  </em>
  <span>ony Stark?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, really,” you chuckled. “I’m handing over the phone now.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You gave Tony your phone. He opened his mouth and was about to start speaking until he was, assumedly, interrupted by your aunt.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You, being only a </span>
  <em>
    <span>tad</span>
  </em>
  <span>  bit nosy, honed in on their conversation, although to everyone else it seemed as though you were just looking around.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“...please take care of her. For the majority of her life, it’s been just her and I. I would be devastated if anything bad happened to her,” your aunt pleaded.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry. I can assure you that she’ll be fine here,” Tony said reassuringly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you so much. That really means a lot to me,” your aunt said, relief obvious in her tone.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome. I’ll hand the phone back now,” Tony said before handing your phone back over to you.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With your hearing back to normal, you pressed your phone against your ear.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You better take care of yourself and visit me in one piece, young lady. And bring some pastries from that one bakery sometimes, or else,” she jokingly threatened.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I will, I will. I gotta go now but I’ll call you once I get settled. I’ll be dropping by in a few days to pick up my stuff.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds splendid. I guess that means I’ll have to cook your favorites so you have no choice but to stay longer!” she said, before laughing like a villain from a B-class film.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I suppose so! Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for me, Auntie,” you said, your voice softening.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re family. You know I’d do anything for you, kiddo. Anyway, I need to go now. It’s almost time for spin class. Bye!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Alright. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye,” you then hung up and put your phone on the bed, looking up at Tony, then Steve.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be going back to Queens to get my things in a couple of days. I don’t have much, so there’s no need to worry about bringing movers or anything,” you told them.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If you want, I can come with,” Steve offered. “It’ll be faster with another set of hands.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You shrugged. “That sounds good. I don’t think my aunt would mind,” you remembered what she asked you after those words escaped your lips. She was about to find out for herself, it seemed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve grinned. “Sweet. I’ll clear up my schedule then. Just let me know what day you plan on going.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You nodded, before turning your head to Tony.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m gonna go and get your room set up. Shouldn’t take longer than a few hours. In the meantime, Cap can give you a tour,” he said, directing his gaze to Dr. Cortez. “If she says it’s okay, that is.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Dr. Cortez nodded. “You’re all clear. Just be careful and don’t carry anything too heavy for the next couple of days.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You grinned, nodding. “Great! I won’t do much lifting, I promise.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s where I come in,” Steve chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly,” you said, shooting him a smile.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony cleared his throat once again. “Now, I’ll be taking my leave to make sure that your room is ready and to your liking,” he said, waving a goodbye before walking off.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“See? Nothing to worry about,” Steve said. “You’re definitely gonna fit in.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You smiled softly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I really hope I will.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Steve Rogers, Tour Guide and Comedian</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! Chapter 5 is up!</p>
<p>I apologize for my late upload times (it's currently around 11PM EST as I'm posting this) and this is when I'll usually be updating. </p>
<p>I would like to thank y'all once more for your continued support and I hope you enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After Dr. Cortez gave you one last assessment (and after borrowing a shirt from the Captain himself, since yours still had bloodstains), you and Steve went off to explore the tower. Despite you wanting to go around yourself, he insisted that he show you around, pointing out that nobody else knew of you yet besides himself, Tony, and the doctor which made sense. </span>
  <span>So here you two were, in the elevator once more. He told you that he was only going to show you the major parts of the tower, such as the conference room and gym/training room, before finishing off the tour with showing you the shared floor that you will be living in with the rest of the Avengers. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Wait,” you held up your hand. Steve paused and waited for you to talk. “I’ll be sharing a space with you guys?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” he confirmed, his tone flat and nonchalant; as though he expected you to know that. “We all have rooms on the same floor. It’s mostly Tony’s idea-- one of his forms of team bonding, you see.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Mostly Tony’s?” you echoed. “Who was Tony’s co-conspirator?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Me,” he replied, chuckling. “I want the team to feel like a family, and not just a group of people with varying sets of skills and powers.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a really sweet idea,” you said, looking up at him with a smile. “Do you do all sorts of activities, too?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The elevator stopped, letting out that pleasant chime sound before opening its doors. The two of you stepped out and started to walk around.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Actually, we do,” he admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. He looked a little flustered, embarrassed, even. “We have movie and game night every weekend, and of course, there are other things that Tony comes up with and drags us along to.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Will I have to be a participant in these activities, even though I’m not an Avenger?” you wondered aloud.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You noticed him hesitate for a second before clearing his throat, acting as though his brief moment of awkwardness was nonexistent. You had a feeling that something was up, and that he wasn’t going to tell you. For now, at least. Wanting to confirm your theory, you hone in and listen to the sound of his heart. It was beating quite fast, and unless Steve had some kind of heart condition or his heart’s always been like that, your hunch could neither be dismissed or confirmed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” he eventually replied, though he didn’t follow it up with anything else.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The two of you walked in relative silence as you kept your focus on his heartbeat, tuning out most of the unnecessary noise around you. Even though he was able to calm himself down, it was still beating a little faster than normal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve stopped in front of a set of glass doors, opening one of them and gesturing you to walk in first. You stopped honing in on his heartbeat before obliging, looking around as he entered the room. On one side, it was filled with standard gym equipment with some monitoring machines. Weights of different colors and heaviness lined the floor close to the wall, followed by a couple of treadmills. You were also able to spot some punching and kicking bags, as well as a water station.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The other side was essentially separated by glass, and you saw a handful of people wearing the same coats that those in the medbay had. There were different kinds of machines, though you weren’t sure about their purpose. Thankfully, you didn’t have to wait long for your questions to be addressed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“This is the gym and training center,” he began, before gesturing to your left. “On this side we have all the equipment you could ever need-- punching bags, weights, treadmills, all that good stuff,” he then gestured to your right. “And on this side is the training center. It’s for if you want to focus on more specialized stuff. Take for your sound ability, for example. We have some of the best researchers here that can help you with that, monitoring and assessing you so you can be able to utilize your powers at peak capacity.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I suppose I’ll be found at the center on my off days, then,” you joked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hopefully not too much, at least,” he said, voice laced with concern. “You know, considering you have to balance school and your internship.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll be fine! I’m used to multitasking,” you said, trying to reassure him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He chuckled, playfully rolling his eyes. “Alright. If you say so.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He opened the door for you once again, and you sent another smile his way as you walked out. He was an absolute gentleman. You couldn’t recall the last time a man held the door open for you. You speculated that it was because of his upbringing. It still didn’t change the fact that, albeit a small gesture, it meant a lot to you.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>After exiting the gym, you both continue walking down the hallway, passing by a few employees. Steve made it a point to greet every single one of them and introduced you to them. You found out rather quickly that Tony had quite a number of employees working under him-- researchers, doctors, accountants, security, etc. It must’ve been troubling at times, having to manage such a large number of people, but then again, he had more than enough to ensure they were satisfied working for him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What an odd problem to have,” you mused out loud. Steve looked at you, an eyebrow raised and a confused look on his face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What is?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Realizing you said that out loud, you felt flustered. “Nothing,” you quickly said, waving it off.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve eyed you suspiciously for a moment before his features soften once again. He then stopped in front of another set of glass doors, opening them for you. You walked in quickly, hoping he hadn’t noticed the look on your face, before Steve followed suit.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This room didn’t have as much activity and visual stimulation compared to the gym, which made sense, seeing that it was the conference room. In it was a long, glass table that had bottles of water on top, and a row of executive chairs lined up on either side. There was a projector hanging from the ceiling and the room had a great view of Manhattan.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m guessing this is the conference room?” you asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” he said flatly. Your face fell.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just pulling your leg,” he laughed. “Yes it is.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You sighed, instinctively pinching the bridge of your nose. “You got me there, Steve.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was still laughing, pure joy radiating from him as he relished in his successful joke. If he was any other person, you would’ve asked them to stop, but you just couldn’t bear stopping such a joyful moment for him. His eyes were closed, his cheeks were flushed, and his smile was wide, causing the sides of his eyes to crinkle ever so slightly. His laugh was like music to your ears. You cherished how sweet it sounded, before feeling slightly disappointed when he finally stopped. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” he apologized, keeping his megawatt smile. “You just made it too easy.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You chuckled, waving your hand dismissively once again. “It’s alright, Steve. I suppose I did set myself up for that one.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He nodded, his smile unwavering. He then turned around and opened the door for you a fourth time, walking out after you stepped out of the room.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You both walked back to the elevator. You felt your heartbeat speed up at the thought of sharing a floor with the Avengers themselves. What would they think of you? What would they say? Would they even like you?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As if by magic, Steve squeezed your shoulder comfortingly as you enter the elevator. “I know you’re nervous,” he began. “But they’ll like you. Don’t think too much of it, okay?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Okay.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve pressed a button, and the elevator started ascending. He still had his hand on your shoulder, though you made no effort to remind him of that. His hand, while big, was still warm and comforting, just like his arms was when he carried you. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Once the elevator stopped and opened its doors, you felt your heart leaping out of your chest at who was greeting you on the other side.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was the entire team.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Meeting (Most of) the Team</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter Six! A little more dialogue heavy again, so my apologies for that.</p>
<p>Idk what else to say right now other than: I hope you enjoy! :D</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>You stepped out of the elevator, a wave of nervousness washing over you. The team was looking at you with such scrutiny, and while you felt a little offended by it, you figured that it was because they were unaware of your existence until just recently. The room was filled with silence as the rest of the team sized you up, so you did your best to remain unfazed-- unintimidated. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve then gave your shoulder one last squeeze before gesturing to the team. “Well, these are the people you’ll be sharing the space with. [Y/F/N], meet the team. I’ll introduce you to each one of them.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He pointed to your right, towards a boy who didn’t look older than 18. He had a certain air of jubilance to him, and a friendly smile. “First off, this is Peter Parker, otherwise known as Spiderman.” Peter gave you a little wave, which you reciprocated. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So you’re our friendly neighborhood superhero. I’m from Queens too, actually!” you said with a grin on your face. “Queens, Woodside to be specific.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes widened, and you could practically feel the excitement radiating off of him. “Really? No way-- I’m from Forest Hills!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I used to go there all the time back in elementary and high school. I practically know that place like the back of my hand,” you told him, feeling rather happy that you were able to share your love of Queens with the webslinger you heard so much about.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’d like to challenge you on that sometime,” he quipped.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Bet,” you said, your grin growing wider. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve waved his hands around. “Alright, alright. You guys can bond and talk about Queens some other time, though it doesn’t hold a candle to the best borough in the city,” he began.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Brooklyn,” Steve and the man standing beside Peter said in unison. He had dark, wispy hair and a rugged look about him, which juxtaposed the smile he had on his face.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve gave the man a high five as he let out a laugh. “That’s right, Bucky! Anyways, [Y/F/N], this is Bucky Barnes. He and I go way, way back. He’s my best friend.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One of the other men looked extremely offended at Steve’s statement, forming his arms to a T. “Hold on-- what about </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry Sam. I meant </span>
  <em>
    <span>one</span>
  </em>
  <span> of my best friends.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The man, who you assumed was Sam, smiled victoriously. “That’s better. You really hurt my feelings there, Steve.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Bucky then sauntered up to you and stuck his hand out. You reached for it and gave it a shake. “A pleasure. Bucky.” you said, giving him a small nod.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pleasure’s all mine, doll,” he chimed, taking you aback slightly and causing you to blush. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve then pointed to a woman with red hair. She had a stoic look on her face, and she was the one whose eyes you felt burning holes through you since the moment you got out of the elevator. You tensed up as she crossed her arms over her chest, still sizing you up. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A man with a bow and quiver on his back stepped forward, offering his hand out. “That’s Natasha. Sorry about that. Being an assassin does that to you,” he apologized. “I’m Clint. Clint Barton.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You shook Clint’s hand and laughed softly, shaking your head. “No need for the apology. I totally understand,” you reassured him. “It’s nice to meet you, Clint.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Clint then pulled his arm away and stepped back. Before Steve could go on, you felt yourself being lifted off the floor. You let out a yelp as you clung on to the unknown man for dear life. He had long, flowing, blonde locks and looked like he never missed a gym day since he was born. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What a pleasure it is to meet you!” The man bellowed. “I am Thor. When I heard that we were having a new recruit, I was rather excited to see who it was!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was the answer to your hunch. You were actually going to be a part of the Avengers. You were speechless as the god of thunder set you down. Tony shot him a glare, before turning to you. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, sorry that you had to find out that way,” he apologized, averting his gaze shortly after. “I was going to tell you once you were fully introduced and acquainted with everyone, but what do you say? Are you still game?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taking a few moments to compose yourself, you inhaled deeply before nodding, sending Tony a smile. “I’m still game. Though it would’ve been nice to have been told while I was still down in the medbay,” you pointed out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“In hindsight, yeah. But that doesn’t matter now,” he admitted. “Welcome to the team.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thanks, Tony,” you said gratefully, before noticing one two other people you had not introduced yourself to yet, though you knew what the name was for one of them. His name was thrown around all the time in the physics department, and while your field was more on the sound aspect, you still highly respected his work and admittedly geeked out as he approached you.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m Dr. Bruce Banner. Just Bruce is fine, though,” he said softly, offering a hand for you to shake. You tried not to look too excited as you took his hand and shook it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Banner. I’ve heard so much about you in the physics department.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He quirked an eyebrow when you mentioned that. “Oh? What do you specialize in?” he asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I’m finishing up my degrees in sound engineering and molecular physics,” you told him. “General physics, to be honest, but I’m planning on focusing on molecular stuff once I graduate.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How interesting. I would love to sit and talk about that sometime,” he said, offering you a tired, shy smile.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You accepted his offer with a smile back and a nod, before turning to the last person present. She also had red hair, though that wasn’t the only thing red that she wore. Her entire getup was red. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It is scarlet,” the woman pointed out, as if she read your mind. “My name is Wanda. Wanda Maximoff. My brother, Pietro, is here somewhere. I will make sure you two are introduced later,” she said politely. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Vision and Loki are somewhere around here too,” Tony piped up. “But I’m pretty sure you’ll see them later during dinner.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You shrugged. “That sounds fine. I’m sure they’re busy.” You turned to face the team and gave them another smile. “It’s nice to meet you all. I hope I can be of service to you guys.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve walked back up to you. “I’m sure you will. Anyway, I just got word that your room’s done. I’m sure you’ll want to get settled.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Looking up at him, you nodded. “I would, actually.” You then gave the team a wave before you and Steve walked off to your room. You were honestly relieved that he got you out of that. You never handled yourself well in crowds, anyway.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Gotta Love Social Media</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>You were currently sitting on the sofa, scrolling through Twitter. In the past few hours since the attempted bank robbery, your face had popped up and was now trending on the platform. Hell, you were even on TikTok. Multiple videos have come surfaced, ranging from what you’ve done in the bank to Steve carrying you out in his arms. A small blessing, however, was that your name hadn’t popped up, but you knew that it was only a matter of time before your name leaked out to the public. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You weren’t able to get through much of the articles, however, because new messages would continuously pop up. Most were from your friends, some of whom you never revealed your powers to, and some who knew and just wanted to check up on you. The other messages came from the professors that you were working with, concerned about how the fiasco would distract you from your work and if you needed some time to yourself. You assured them that it was no problem-- you couldn’t jeopardize your positions with them because of what happened, especially since you were so close to graduating. You were grateful that the professors you worked with were more of the understanding sort, compared to the majority of professors in your college. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You gently tossed your phone to the side, stood up and stretched before making your way over to your wardrobe. You remembered that the only other item of clothing that you had was stained with blood, and groaned at your stupidity. However, due to your stubbornness, you opened the wardrobe anyway, pleasantly surprised when you were met with the sight of a pair of pajamas. Next to it was a note. You picked it up and read it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“[Y/F/N], seeing as you didn’t have any other clothes to change into for today, I wanted to give you this, at least. I’ll lend you the company card after dinner so you can buy some more clothes,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>the note read. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You looked up in thought and decided to just buy some more clothes now, not wanting to use someone else’s money.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“And I know what you’re thinking. Stop thinking about that. I have way too much money, more than I know what to do with. I’ll be giving you the card whether you like it or not and I’m going to see if you’ve used it. Signed, Tony.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sighing, you shoved the note in your pocket and took the pajamas. It was insanely soft. You almost wanted to run your face through it, but decided not to at the last second. You placed the folded pair of pajamas on your bed, before walking back over to the sofa, sitting on it once more. You picked up your phone and went online, buying two tops, a pair of jeans, some undergarments and a pair of shoes. As a broke college student, you made sure to look for the best deals you could. You never fully understood why some people paid top dollar for a certain brand of shoes, or a certain jacket, but then again, that’s just how you were raised. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You really didn’t want to use Tony’s card, but at this point, he was essentially forcing your hand. You figured out a loophole, though: spend some money, but not a lot. Perhaps you could buy a little more than you did just now, but not going over a certain budget you had in mind. You logged back on to Twitter, and noticed how people were trying to give you names. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“#SoundPiercer” </span>
  </em>
  <span>was one of the suggested names. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“#Echo”</span>
  </em>
  <span> was another. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Perhaps.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“#SonicMistress”</span>
  </em>
  <span> was another one. You thought it had a nice ring to it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“#Acoustica”</span>
  </em>
  <span> also sounded nice.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>All the suggestions honestly sounded nice. From the looks of it, a lot of people were excited to know that there was yet another person protecting them. It led you to wonder why you decided to step in now, when you were sure that you could’ve done so earlier. Was it because you felt like you had to? Because you felt like you were ready? Or perhaps it was simply out of convenience, considering the fact that you had somewhere else to be once you finished your business at the bank. Either way, you couldn’t help but feel proud of yourself for being able to save those people.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You snapped out of your thoughts when you heard a knock on your door. You got up and shoved your phone in your pocket, before walking towards your door to answer it. Upon opening the door, your eyes met familiar baby blue eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve laughed. “I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be heading to the kitchen. Would you like to join me?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course! Hopefully I look presentable enough for you guys,” you joked, stepping out of your room and shutting the door behind you. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve rolled his eyes and scoffed as you two made your way to the kitchen. “Oh please. If anything, most of them will be in their pajamas.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You let out a snort, before quickly covering your mouth. Laughing softly, you looked up at him and shot him a wide grin. “Well, that’s a relief,” you remarked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>By the time the two of you reached the kitchen, the team, along with three other men you didn’t know, were getting ready to eat. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry, were you waiting a long time?” Steve asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Natasha answered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes,” Sam chimed in, before being shot down by Natasha’s gaze.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry about that,” you apologized. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony shrugged. “Don’t worry, we just sat down. Sam was just messing with you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Relieved, you make your way over to an empty seat, sandwiched between Natasha and Wanda. Steve sat across from you. Wanda beamed at you and pointed at a man with silver hair who looked similar to her. You assumed that this was her brother.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“[Y/F/N]! That is my twin brother, Pietro. Next to him is Vision,” she said, pointing to a strange looking person with a red and green appearance. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The two men nodded at you, Pietro sending you a sly, little wink. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And this is my brother, Loki!” you heard a familiar voice boom. The man, who had long, raven hair slicked back and sharp features sent Thor a glare. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re going to give the poor mortal a heart attack, dear brother,” he hissed. Thor seemingly ignored this based on his lack of reaction to what Loki said, before he clapped his hands together and rubbed them. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Now that we’re all here, let us feast!”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Chapter Seven in the books! I hope you enjoyed it. </p>
<p>I would love if I could get suggestions on superhero names for you, if you didn't like the ones I threw around, haha.</p>
<p>Thank you for your continued support of the series and feedback would be much appreciated!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. "Woman Stuff"</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>You had all just finished eating dinner. Clint took off and loaded the dishwasher while the rest of the Avengers, save for you, Steve, Tony, Wanda and Natasha, wandered off. The five of you that stayed were currently just lounging about in the common room. You were sandwiched in between Wanda and Tony, the latter who kept poking you with the card he told you he’d let you use. It had been going on for a couple of minutes now, and you had to give it to Tony-- he was persistent. You eventually caved when he threatened you with buying your clothes himself, which was worse than him handing you the card. Tony was never one for modesty and affordable things. The thought of him buying clothes for you that cost more than you’d ever see in your lifetime made your heart race, prompting you to swipe the card from his hand. He smirked as he stood up, victorious. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, my work here for tonight’s done,” he said, before doing a 180. “I’ll see you guys in the morning.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Tony walked off, leaving you, Steve, Wanda and Natasha in the common room. The four of you sat in relative silence for what felt like forever, before Natasha turned to Steve.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Could you leave the three of us alone for tonight, Steve?” she asked. “We’re gonna do… woman stuff.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve, though confused, didn’t seem to question it, and stood up. “Alright…?” He eyed the three of you before also walking away. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha grinned and slid over to the now empty spot beside you. This was a full 180 from the Natasha that was glaring daggers at you earlier. Wanda was also grinning, before urging you to take your phone out. You obliged, and unlocked it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So,” you started to say. “What kind of woman stuff are we doing?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We are going shopping for you,” Wanda replied nonchalantly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Your eyes widened and you immediately shook your head. “Oh no, no. I can do it myself, really I can!” you protested.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was too late, however, as the assassin swiped your phone from your hands and started looking at new clothes for you. Wanda got up and sat beside Natasha, peering at her selections. The two started conversing amongst themselves as you could only watch at the choices they had, too horrified to do anything about it. Maybe it was because you hated troubling other people. Maybe it was because of your modesty. Or maybe it was a combination of both. Either way, you resigned to your fate as you watched the number of items in your cart grow. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Wanda popped her head to the side and looked at you. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re worried about how much we’re spending. But you shouldn’t be, you really shouldn’t,” she told you.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“How did you…?” you trailed off.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She tapped the side of her head with her index finger. “I can read minds,” she answered simply. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Natasha stopped loading the online cart with items and looked at you as well. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m pretty sure I was intimidating the fuck out of you earlier, but as Clint said, assassin stuff,” she chuckled. “We all read your file-- don’t ask. Tony has a way with things. Anyway, we think you’re a good kid, so let us do something for you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You laughed nervously, a little taken aback at the revelation. “I’m just not used to people doing things for me,” you explained. “It’s always been me doing all the work, lest I be disappointed in the end.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That is something that I am sure you will get used to doing,” Wanda piped up. “Learning how to rely on others as much as they rely on you. We are a family, dysfunctional as we may seem, and now you are a part of it too.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You hung your head and sighed, before nodding. “Thank you,” you began, eyes focused on the plush carpeting under your feet. “It means a lot. It really does.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You felt a hand on your shoulder. Raising your head back up, you could see that it was Natasha’s hand. She had a bright smile on her face. “Chin up. We’re all here for you. Now,” she swiped Tony’s card and focused her attention back to your phone. “Time to check out. You’ll thank us later.” And with that, she filled the card details (since you had your check out information saved on your phone) and hit the order button before giving you your phone back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Just tell Tony that it was our doing,” Natasha said with a wink. The three of you bursted out into a laughing fit shortly after.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Being part of an even bigger family felt great, although the nagging thought of your parents that left you behind was still in the recesses of your mind. You tried to ignore it.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It would only be a matter of time before the memories would resurface.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>That's Chapter 8 done! I'm not sure if I'll post the next one tomorrow. I'm thinking of setting a schedule instead of dishing it out every single night. But not to fret- I have no plans of abandoning this series!</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your continued support and kudos!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Moving Out</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Chapter 9's now up! Yay!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It had been a week since you stopped the bank robbery and the Avengers took you under their wing. You thought that the hype about what you did would have died by now, but it seemed to still be going strong. People stopped you on the street as you’d walk around (not knowing that you were well-known enough to start needing disguises) and ask if they could take a selfie with you, or give you a high five. One certain encounter, however, stood out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>When you were stocking up on groceries for your mini-fridge the other day, a group of kids stopped you and asked for your autograph. At first, you didn’t know what to do, so you just stood there, mouth agape, for what felt like an eternity. However, upon seeing those big, pleading eyes looking up at you, you couldn’t refuse. You took their notebooks and a sharpie from one of the kids and doodled little drawings on them, signing it with your signature at the bottom. The kids giggled when they received their notebooks back, before engulfing you in a hug. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Thanks, ma’am!” one of them said happily. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“No problem, kiddos,” you grinned, before turning on your heel, shopping basket in hand. You threw your head back and looked at them once more before saying, “And call me Acoustica.” before walking off.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Now, you and Steve were back in Queens to grab the stuff you kept in your aunt’s apartment. The two of you stopped in front of the brownstone that you lived in with your aunt since you were three. You make some kind of gesture, as though you were showing it off, finishing it off with a nervous laugh. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Welcome to the place I call home. Or well, called home, because you know, I live with you guys now and all,” you rambled on as Steve listened intently with a smile on his face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You fished for your keys from your pocket and unlocked the door before pulling a Steve and letting him enter first. He does. You follow suit and close the door behind you before shoving your keys back into your pocket. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“My aunt’s place is on the third floor,” you informed him, before walking up the stairs. Steve walked up behind you, and you two made the ascend in comfortable silence. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You and Steve made it to the third floor and walked to the door that stood in front of you. You could smell your favorite food in the air, taking a deep breath in before knocking on the door. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Come in!” your aunt’s voice called out.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You opened the door and are immediately greeted by the sight of your aunt. She pulled you in for a tight hug, shaking you back and forth excitedly. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Auntie, auntie! Relax, it’s only been a week and you’re acting like we haven’t seen each other in years!” you laughed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She let go, but not without shooting a pout your way. It wasn’t until then she noticed Steve behind you, which came as a surprise to you, considering the fact that the man was almost a foot taller than you. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You brought the Captain with you!” she exclaimed. “Wow, I never thought I’d actually get to see you in the flesh.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve laughed shyly, rubbing the back of his neck. “You give me too much credit, ma’am. And please, call me Steve.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Your aunt stuck out her hand for Steve to shake, and he grasped it firmly before giving her a handshake. “Alex.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nice to meet you, Alex.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pleasure’s all mine, Cap-- I mean, Steve.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She let go of his hand before leading the two of you into the living room, closing the front door before walking back into the kitchen. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Lunch is almost ready, so in the meantime, you can get your stuff packed!” she called out. “I’ll call you two when it’s ready! You better not be doing anything in [Y/F/N]’s room!” she teased.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Auntie!” you cried out, before taking Steve into your room. You were mortified-- almost outwardly fuming, even. You were really good at hiding that, though.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You gave Steve an apologetic smile before doing the same gesture you did when you were outside. “And this here’s my room! It’s not much, but I made it into my little hidey hole,” you chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It sure does look like you,” he pointed out, referring to the band posters and LED lights, amongst other things.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Could you get my duffel bags from above that closet? I’ll get started on taking my clothes and other stuff out.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve walked up to the closet and reached for the two duffel bags that sat there, taking them before setting them down on the floor. He opened the two bags and watched as you took your clothes out of your dresser, setting them down on the bed. Steve, being ever the gentleman, took your folded clothes and put them in the bag. It didn’t take long with the two of you working together, and with you not owning much in terms of clothes since you tended to recycle your pants and hoodies. Steve zipped the first bag closed as you tackled your bookshelf. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Taking the books down in stacks, Steve would then pack those in the other bag, making sure they would fit. This took a little more time than the clothes, since Steve had to essentially play Tetris to get the books to fit, but eventually, he was able to get the second bag closed without much struggle. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there anything else that you still have to pack?” Steve asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” you answered, shaking your head. “Besides the posters on the wall and the furniture, I basically have my whole life packed in those two bags,” you laughed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Must be a really big change for you then, huh?” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You looked at him, an eyebrow arched. “What do you mean?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Moving from your room here in Queens to a room that’s as big as your apartment in Manhattan,” he replied. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You nodded slowly, looking at your bags, then around your room, before your eyes settled back into Steve’s baby blue hues. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s true, but nothing good comes out of thinking about it,” you said. “I can think about it from time to time, but I know I’ll always have to adjust somehow, some way.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I know exactly what you mean,” he said after a while, his voice a little softer than usual. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You offer him a small, grateful smile. “Thank you for helping me out today, Steve.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I would’ve insisted even if you said no,” he chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You shook your head, a look of amusement on your face. “I know you would’ve.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“[Y/F/N]! Steve! Lunch is ready!” your aunt called out from the kitchen.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You were about to carry both bags before Steve stopped you, carrying them himself. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t worry,” he reassured you. “I got them.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You open the door to your room, motioning him to exit first.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span> “Well then, after you, sir.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope y'all don't mind me going with the name Acoustica, haha. I just thought it had a nice ring to it.</p>
<p>I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Memories</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Back with a new chapter, y'all! Some *slight* angst. Hopefully I'm going at a reasonable pace!</p>
<p>Anyway, I hope y'all enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>After you and Steve left your room, you were met by the sight of your aunt setting the table. Steve set your bags down close to the door, before walking towards her, helping her set the tables. You followed suit, going into the kitchen to bring the food out and placing them on the table. Once that was done, you three sat down.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Your aunt gestured to the food. “Dig in, you two!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You collect some food and put it on your plate, though you made quick work when it came to your favorite dish. Your aunt, upon noticing this, let out a soft laugh, shaking her head as she put food on her plate. Steve, on the other hand, was being polite, and it showed. He took food slowly and ate quietly, although he did humor your aunt whenever she made conversation with you two. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A little halfway before you finished eating, you saw your aunt suddenly break into a mischievous grin. You didn’t know why, but you knew that whenever she grinned like that, it wasn’t going to end well for you. She finished her food and got up, taking her plate and utensils into the kitchen and placing them on the sink. She then emerged, but instead of sitting back down, she made a beeline towards one of the many bookshelves. Rather, a certain bookshelf. You knew what she was about to do.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Auntie, I swear to Thor that if you’re gonna show Steve what I think you’re gonna show him, I’m not going to get you those pastries!” you threatened. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t even bring them today when you said you would!” she fired back, still looking for a certain </span>
  <em>
    <span>book </span>
  </em>
  <span>in question.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I overslept, okay! Geez,” you pouted, crossing your arms over your chest.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve was caught in the crossfire, but he honestly found it very amusing. It took every ounce of willpower in him to refrain from breaking into a fit of laughter. He could see how close you were to your aunt, almost like himself and his mother back in the day, and that thought made his heart ache. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Aha!” your aunt exclaimed, tearing Steve away from his thoughts. “I found it!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She essentially sprinted back to the table, a mere few feet away, in excitement. She set the book down on the table in front of Steve, and only then Steve was able to understand why you were opposed to the idea. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was a photo album, and a pretty old looking one at that. Steve saw you leaning over the table in an attempt to take the album away, only for your aunt to retaliate by swatting your hand away. She moved the album away from your reach before opening it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Your aunt’s face darkened momentarily as she took a couple of pages and bunched them together, skipping them before landing on a photo of who he assumed was you as a child. It was only after landing on that page that her happy-go-lucky demeanor returned. He was rightfully confused, but he didn’t want to pry.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s [Y/N] as a child. Three years old. I wanted to put her in a cute little outfit that came with a barette, but she wouldn’t stay still long enough for me to put it on!” your aunt explained, chuckling as Steve looked at the photo of you. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There you were in a white sundress with navy stripes, looking obviously displeased at the choice of clothing you were forced to wear as evidenced by the grimace on your face and your tiny arms folded across your chest. Steve looked up to see how you reacted, and sure enough, your grimace stayed the same, prompting him to laugh alongside your aunt. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, what’s so funny?” you asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You have the same expression on your face as the one in the photo!” Steve pointed out, still laughing. “The exact same expression!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You huffed your cheeks as your aunt flipped to the next page. This photo was of you and her, standing a few feet away from Coney Island. You looked a little older in that photo, around five years old, it seemed. In the picture, your aunt had her arm wrapped around you, cheesing for the camera, while younger you stared longingly at the ice cream you had in your hand. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I remember that day,” you suddenly piped up. You leaned a little closer, your face not that far from Steve’s own. He tried acting normal.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>This was completely normal. He’s been in close proximity to many faces before, so why did yours make him feel funny? His breath hitched as you shifted slightly, placing your arm on the table and using it as a headrest. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t wanna get on the Ferris Wheel because I thought that it was gonna come loose and roll away with me still on it,” you explained, shaking your head at your younger self’s imagination. “I cried so hard, Auntie had to buy me ice cream to shut me up.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That seemed to shut you up real good, too,” your aunt quipped. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You put your hands in the air, almost hitting Steve in the process if not for his fast reflexes. “Hey now, it’s a perfectly valid fear. I was five!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“For a five year old, yeah. But it still doesn’t make it a valid fear, though,” she fired back.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You looked at Steve, silently pleading with him to come up to your defense. Steve rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at your aunt, shrugging. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” he began. “It </span>
  <em>
    <span>is</span>
  </em>
  <span> a fear, nevertheless.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Your aunt chuckled, shaking her head as she flipped to the next page. While doing so, something slipped out and onto the floor. Steve, being ever the gentleman, got up and picked up the item in question. There was writing on it, scrawled in perfect loops and lines. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Henry, Samantha, and [Y/N].</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Elmhurst Hospital, Queens.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve turned the photo around. It had a man, woman, and newborn. The man’s face was soft, had [Y/H/C] hair and hazel green eyes. The woman looked stern, with chestnut brown hair and [Y/E/C] eyes, was on a hospital bed and carrying the newborn. He hadn’t noticed you biting your lip as you looked at the photo from afar, a forlorn look in your usually vibrant eyes. Your aunt took the photo from his hands and shot him a smile, which Steve could tell was pained and forced. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I think it’s time for us to go, Auntie,” you said softly, before getting up and pushing your chair back towards the table. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Your aunt inserted the photo back into the album and promptly shut it, nodding in agreement. She walked around the table and gave you a tight hug, which you reciprocated, burying your face into your aunt’s shoulder. It lasted a few seconds before you pulled back. She reached for your cheek and gave it a loving pinch, before the two of you shared a small laugh. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t be a stranger, okay? Just because you live with the Avengers and all doesn’t mean you should stop visiting me. And giving me pastries,” she grinned. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I promise I’ll bring some the next time I come over, I swear,” you promised. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You better, honey. Now off with you before I change my mind!” she joked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You gave her one last hug as Steve picked up your bags. You two stood at the doorway and Steve gave your aunt a small, apologetic smile. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Thank you for lunch. It was delicious,” he said. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re welcome, Steve. Don’t be a stranger, either.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I won’t.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And after exchanging goodbyes, you and the super soldier finally left the brownstone, driving away in silence.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Fruits and Fibs</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>New chapter! I'm so sorry it took a couple of days.</p>
<p>I just want to give you guys a heads up because I'll be starting a paid internship soon, coupled with me going back to college in the fall, so my updates will take significantly longer. </p>
<p>I hope you enjoy this chapter, I honestly have no idea what y'all will think about it, haha.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Three months had passed since you and Steve had lunch with your aunt, and the two of you acted like nothing even happened. He never brought it up, much to your relief, and treated you the same way he treated you before helping you move your stuff to the tower. You also learned more about your powers in that month than you did by yourself, thanks to the help of Tony’s various research teams. You were pleasantly surprised at some of the other abilities you apparently had, such as being able to ride sound waves. You were by no means as fast as Pietro, but that didn’t stop the speedster from taking a liking to you and taking you under his wing once he overheard you talking about it to Wanda. The two of you often went to the underground running track underneath Stark Industries and raced. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One other newfound ability that you liked was the fact that, since you were able to project sound waves, Tony’s team of researchers discovered that they could take it one step further and get you to materialize and construct various items out of sound. However, since sonokinesis was still new to you, you were unable to materialize them for long  and you were often left exhausted, so you made it a habit to exert yourself sparingly and dedicated some time to practice it, until you felt like you could handle constructing things for longer periods of time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You found out that the name Acoustica stuck with the public, so that’s what you referred to yourself whenever you were spotted in public (which was rare, ever since you stepped up your disguise game and refusing to opt for a meager baseball hat and sunglasses like a certain Star-Spangled soldier…). You thought you would’ve gotten used to being stopped by strangers and asking you to take selfies with them, or signing an item of theirs, but you still hadn’t. You wondered how the rest of the Avengers were able to keep up, acting as if it was in their nature to oblige to requests while you, on the other hand, barely kept your composure. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You were currently in your room, typing away at the monstrosity that you called your thesis. Empty cans of triple shot espresso drinks and TV dinners were scattered all over your immediate vicinity and a stray pillow sat precariously close to the edge of your desk. You had a tendency to leave important projects unfinished until the last minute, which unfortunately included your honors thesis. When your adviser told you that you had to send in your final draft before finals were over, you constantly told yourself that you were going to start and finish writing your thesis way before that. But here you are, a month before finals, and you just finished writing your thesis statement a few hours ago.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You had nobody to blame but yourself. You couldn’t even complain-- this was your own fault. Senioritis hit you like a truck and instead of choosing to power through it, you decided to go with the flow and laze about for a good bit of time, opting to hone your powers instead. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But hey, diamonds are made under pressure, right?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Now you were at your fourth paragraph, but you found yourself unable to concentrate. It was probably due to the lack of sleep, or the surplus of triple shot espresso in your system, or perhaps a combination of both, but you felt your brain going foggy. You grumbled, annoyed, before finally getting up from your seat and stretching. You did some head rolls, arm circles and quickly stretched both of your legs before bending over to pick up the discarded cans and TV dinners. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ms. [Y/F/N], Mr. Rogers would like to come in,” F.R.I.D.A.Y’s voice rang out. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell him to give me a couple of minutes!” you yelled out, quickly dropping what you were holding and dashing to your mirror. You looked at yourself and shook your head-- you looked horrible. You had dark circles under your eyes and your clothes were wrinkled to oblivion. You undressed and picked out one of the clothes Natasha picked for you, a simple white crop top and a pair of navy running shorts. You put your hair up before throwing your dirty clothes into the hamper, and jogged towards your door, opening it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You looked up at the embodiment of the United States and smiled at him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello Steve. What brings you here today?” you asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, [Y/F/N]. I was just wondering if you needed anything from the store. It’s my turn to get groceries this week and since you’re working on your thesis and stuff, I wanted to see what kinds of food you wanted to snack on.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Awh,” you gushed, leaving Steve slightly flustered. “That’s sweet of you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Anything to make things less stressful for you. I’ve seen what happens to Tony and Bruce whenever they’re too wrapped up in one of their projects. I’m hoping you won’t end up the same way,” he chuckled.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You shook your head. “I’m already on my way there, Stevie. I guess that’s what all scientists have in common.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“At least you eat and have something to drink,” he paused and looked in your room before letting out a laugh. “Albeit unhealthy, it seems,” he teased.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s still food!” you protested. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Doesn’t excuse the fact that it still isn’t good for you,” he sighed. “What kind of fruits do you like? Do you like tea?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Bananas, apples and mangoes,” you replied. “And yes, I do like tea. Green tea, to be precise. Still has the caffeine I need and is a little more healthier than coffee.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Got it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Is that all you wanted to ask?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. I’ll be back in an hour or so. You should take a little break until I come back with your food.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You smiled and wrapped your arms around him. “I was planning on it. Thanks, Stevie.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s nothing, really,” he brushed it off, hugging you back. “Anything for you.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He whispered the latter part thinking you wouldn’t hear it. Perhaps he’d forgotten that your abilities also led to enhanced hearing, but you didn’t want to expose him, so instead, you feigned ignorance. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What was that last part?” you asked, looking up at him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he lied. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The two of you pulled away and Steve coughed awkwardly, refusing to meet your gaze. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, I uh-- should go. The sooner I finish this the better,” he said.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. I’ll see you later, Steve.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll see you later.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And with that, Steve turned on his heel and walked away. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Anything for you.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>What did he mean by that?</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. Falling</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I am so sorry this update took so long! The internship's been pretty stressful, along with getting everything set for me to move back onto campus in a couple of weeks. I've been really busy these past few days, so I hope y'all can forgive me!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Remember how you told Steve that you’d be taking a break while he was gone? Well, you did, for a good ten minutes, before jumping right back into writing your thesis. You were on such a roll that you essentially ignored your stomach as it growled, begging for the crappy TV dinners that you had grown accustomed to eating over the past few days. That, however, was a pretty small price to pay (or so you thought), since you were already finishing up the third page. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Hey-- it was something. You also thanked your past self for bookmarking all the other sources you grabbed your information from, so you didn’t spend most of your time trying to look for articles and papers that would best suit your own. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You were so engrossed with writing that you didn’t hear Steve letting himself in, carrying a brown paper bag filled with food and drinks, all for you. You didn’t even hear his footsteps getting louder as he sauntered over towards you and standing behind you, shaking his head as he chuckled in amusement. He then tapped your shoulder, causing you to scream in surprise and jump up from your seat. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Steve!” you cried out. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He laughed sheepishly before handing you the paper bag. “My apologies. Though I’ll say, I think you deserve it, considering the fact that you said you were going to take a break.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I did take a break.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That didn’t look like a break to me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I took a break for like, ten minutes.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He raised his eyebrow. “Only ten? Oh God, you’re starting to sound like Tony and Bruce, too.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You huffed your cheeks and shook your head. “I’ll take a longer break this time. I swear.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ll stick around and take a little break, myself,” he said, before sitting on your bed. He looked around as you set the paper bag down on top of your mess of a desk. “Maybe we can clean up a little, first. It’s like my mom’s always said: A person’s surroundings reflect their headspace.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You laughed, embarrassed. You remembered telling yourself that you were going to clean before Steve got back, but you must’ve forgotten. You walked over to your desk and pulled a drawer open. You fished your hand around for some garbage bags that you kept, before closing the drawer. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Would this be enough?” you asked the super soldier.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He shrugged, before bending over and picking up your pile of TV dinner trays. “Probably. Those bags look big enough.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The two of you split up, tackling either side of your room. Steve took care of the trays and cans of triple shot espresso while you took care of your discarded clothes pile. You both worked in comfortable silence, with the occasional sound of aluminum hitting aluminum when Steve threw a can in the bag and the swishing of fabric whenever you tried to make a free throw to the hamper. You didn’t know why, but something about it felt right with you-- it felt nice. Maybe even domestic, even.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Around half an hour later your room was spotless. Steve had taken the liberty of setting down the warm food he got for you two to eat after you mopped the floor. The two of you sat side by side on your sofa, munching on your food while you watched some show about some kids from the 80’s. Steve picked it out. When you told him you had never watched the show before, he looked at you, flabbergasted, before promptly sitting you down and using your Netflix account to watch.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The feeling of some good, warm food really sat well with your stomach. You didn’t notice how wide your smile was once you finished your share, nor did you notice that Steve noticed. Steve felt his heart racing as he saw the faint crinkles near your eyes when you smiled, and the baby pink that graced your cheeks. He found you absolutely breathtaking from the moment he saw you, but he never expected for you to affect him as much as you did. He hadn’t felt that way in a long time. Not since…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>...Peggy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Was he starting to fall for you?</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. Chapter 13</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Finally! Chapter 13. I'm so sorry this took long. Besides the internship, I now have to worry about packing since I'm going back to college next week. When I have a little more free time, I would like to take one-shot requests, haha.</p>
<p>Anywho, I hope y'all enjoy this chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The days after Steve bought you groceries, he’d stop by to check in on you every once in a while as you were working on the finishing touches of your thesis. Being so close to finally finishing, you were a sight for sore eyes whenever you came down to eat with the team (which was rare), and you made it a point to update Bruce on your progress every time you ate with them since you wanted him to read it before you sent it off to your thesis adviser. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The sounds of you typing away on your laptop accompanied by the faint whirr coming from the air-conditioner filled the room. You made sure to amplify the ambient noises, finding yourself working more efficiently when you were tuned in to them. Normally you’d be listening to music as you worked, but then again, you weren’t in the library surrounded by chattering students. Yeah, sure, you could’ve just blocked them out, but you didn’t like working in </span>
  <em>
    <span>total</span>
  </em>
  <span> silence, so it was either nice, soothing environmental sounds or music. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You typed in that last period and beamed as you essentially melted into your chair, the weight of months of stress and pressure finally lifting itself off of your shoulders. You finally stood up after almost being one with your chair, and stretched deeply. Peering over your finished thesis with pride, you made sure to save it just in case your laptop decided to be an asshole and shut off on you, before saving it four more times for good measure. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You then removed your laptop from its charger, and carried it as though you were carrying an infant. At this point, you felt like it was your child, considering how long it took for you to make it. This was your hard work, your pride and joy-- you were going to treat it as such. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You kicked your door open and headed straight to Bruce’s lab, a steely look of determination in your face. You passed by a handful of employees who watched with amused looks on their faces at the way you walked, laptop cradled in your arms. You were so focused on getting from Point A to Point B that you failed to notice Pietro behind you, mimicking your gait, which earned a few snickers from onlookers. It took you a few moments to notice this, and stopped walking. You quickly peered over your shoulder and caught a glimpse of shining, silver hair, which only meant one thing--</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“PIETRO! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!” you yelled, causing the onlookers to quickly return to whatever it was they were doing (though they weren’t really, they just wanted to stay for the tea). </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A gust of wind and another flash of silver caught your eye once more before you felt your arms feeling a little lighter. You were met with the quickster’s signature smirk and your laptop cradled in his arms, the same way you were holding it mere seconds ago. Your eyes widened as you tried to snatch it from him, but it was as though he knew just when you were about to strike, and held the laptop just out of your reach. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The panic only worsened from there as all your desperate attempts to get your laptop were met with futility. You knew that Pietro was joking, but that laptop cost you a pretty penny. It took you months of saving to get a powerful laptop that suited your lifestyle. All your files would’ve been fine, as you invested in a hard drive that was able to store your work, but the anxiety of potentially losing something you worked so hard for caused you to unravel.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Pietro,” you spoke softly, your voice doing a complete 180. “Please, just give it back.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You hugged yourself-- something you did often whenever you were stressed out, and refused to meet his eyes. You hated how you could feel like you were on top of the world at one moment, and come crashing down the next. You hated how unstable your self-image was.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Those who once enjoyed watching the two of you could feel the tension that arose, and promptly left. Even Pietro felt it, guilt immediately washing over him. He carefully gave you back your laptop, but you still refused to look at him, which made him feel even worse. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re a jerk,” you muttered under your breath. He frowned, and was about to reach out to touch your shoulder when…</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What’s going on here?” a familiar voice asked. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Pietro froze. You looked up and met the mystery man’s gaze.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was Steve. He had a concerned look on his face, signature worry lines and all. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing, really,” you lied. “Pietro was just playing a joke on me, that’s all.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Pietro turned around and looked Steve in the eye as he nodded. “Yeah. Just a little joke.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Steve raised an eyebrow as he eyed you once more, noting the look of distress on your face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“If it was just a joke, then you’d have a big smile on your face,” Steve pointed out to you.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You hesitated for a moment before giving him your best smile, though it didn’t meet your eyes like it usually did. You hoped Steve hadn’t noticed that, though. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I forgot to mention that it was an </span>
  <em>
    <span>annoying</span>
  </em>
  <span> joke,” you fake laughed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>You then looked at your watch a little too eagerly before excusing yourself from the two men. “I gotta go see Bruce,” you said, closing your laptop and holding it close to your chest. “I’ll see you later Steve,” you looked at Steve, before looking at Pietro and nodding at him. “Pietro,” before walking away.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Little did you know, Steve knew that something was bothering you-- he always seemed to know, and it hurt him that he couldn’t figure out how to make you feel better.</span>
</p>
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